This invention relates generally to a bearing and, more particularly, to a bearing for use in a hinge of the same general type as disclosed in DeBruyn U.S. application Ser. No. 836,248, filed Mar. 5, 1986.
The hinge disclosed in that application is a concealed hinge for mounting a cabinet door to open through a wide angle on a cabinet frame. The hinge includes two pivoted links and three pivot axes. One link is connected to pivot relative to the door about one axis, the other link is connected to pivot relative to the frame about a second axis, and the two links are connected together to pivot relative to one another about the third axis. All three axes intersect one another at a common point on the hinge axis of the door in all positions of the door and constrain the door to swing in an arc about the hinge axis while enabling wide-angle opening of the door.
In order to insure intersection of all three pivot axes at a common point on the hinge axis, it is necessary to use bearings of relatively high precision at the pivot connections of the links. Difficulty has been encountered in obtaining high precision bearings which may be manufactured and assembled at a cost sufficiently low to enable use of the bearings in a comparatively inexpensive item such as a hinge.